"Some of these wandless can be troublesome. While they do nothing but beg I have no objection, but one of them actually asked me to plead her case in the Ministry next week. 'I'm a witch, sir, I'm a witch, let me prove it to you'!"

Before the beginning of August of the same year, Travers was convicted again for his Death Eater activities.[4]

Fall of the Ministry

"Many regular Potterwatch listeners will know that the Ministry's hushed up a mass breakout from Azkaban. Escapees include the infamous Death Eater Travers and Stan Shunpike, that you may have met on the Knight Bus."

Physical appearance

Travers is described as a tall, thin wizard with a crown of bushy grey hair, a long sharp nose, and a cool voice.

Personality and traits

Travers was a Death Eater, obsessed with blood purity. In 1998, he expressed his disdain towards Muggle-bornbeggars, whom he laughed at (going as far as calling them "it"), and goblins, whom he didn't like to associate with. He was also something of a xenophobe; when he was met with an apparently foreign wizard, Dragomir Despard (in truth Ron Weasley), Travers didn't shake hands with him with his entire hand, but instead just used two of his fingers, acting as though he feared he would be soiled. His hatred towards Muggles lead him to hate blood traitors as well, as he brutally murdered a member of the Order of the Phoenix and her entire family.

Etymology

Travers is an English and French surname that described a man who lived near a bridge or ford, or occasionally as an occupational name for the collector of tolls at such a location. It is derived from the Old French verb traverser, meaning "to cross"[9].

Travers also shares a surname with the writer P. L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books; J. K. Rowling is an admirer of P. L. Travers, and followed Travers in having her books published under her first two initials and surname rather than her full name.[10]